A CONVERSATION WITH "Little Joey M."
Compare these 2 arguments:
Argument 1
A. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation.
B. The West Virginia economy is heavily dependent on coal.
C. Therefore, let's do more coal mining!
A. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation.
B. The West Virginia economy is heavily dependent on coal.
C. Therefore, let's do more coal mining!
Argument 2
A. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation.
B. The West Virginia economy is heavily dependent on coal.
C. Therefore, let's develop economic alternatives to coal as fast as possible.
A. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation.
B. The West Virginia economy is heavily dependent on coal.
C. Therefore, let's develop economic alternatives to coal as fast as possible.
Now, imagine a group of government officials, squinting their eyes and scratching their heads and thinking real hard as they compare these arguments. One of the little fellows, we’ll call him Joey, steps forward.
Words start to form. You can see it. He is thinking! Little Joey M says,
“But….but….uh….I thought coal was good for us.”
Tooth Fairy: “No, Joey, it’s very, very bad.”
Joey M: “Really?”
TF: “Really.”
JM: “But…what about all those tee-vee commercials where coal is good and all?”
TF: “TV is not real, Joey.”
JM: “It ain’t?”
TF: “No. What you see is called…get ready…big word coming…. an ad-ver-tise-ment.”
JM: “Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.”
(Pause). TF:“Joey, you still seem troubled.”
JM: “Well, um, I mean, well, what about all those jobs the coal people give us, because they’re so nice to us and all.”
TF: “Joey, do you like to look at pictures?”
JM: “Uh-huh.”
TF: “Ok, take a look at this one.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE COAL JOBS
JM: “Gosh, that doesn’t look so good.”
“No, it sure doesn’t.”
(Joey looks perplexed for a moment. Then, a big smile lights up his cute little face and he says):
JM: “Wait a minute! I got it! Coal makes ‘lectricity, don’t it?”
TF: “Yes, it does.”
JM: “And you like ‘lectricity, don’t you? Or are you against ‘lectricity!”
TF: “No, I’m not against electricity.”
JM: “Well, then, listen to this:
a. Coal makes ‘lectricity.
b. We need ‘lectricity.
c. So, we need coal!
Hah-hah! Gotcha!”
TF: “That’s very good, Joey. There’s just one small problem.”
JM: “There is?”
TF: “Yes, you see, we can make electricity in lots of other ways too.”
JM: “Really?”
TF: “Really.”
JM: “Gosh, I never heard of that!”
TF: “We just haven’t developed them because coal is easy to use.”
JM: “Easy is good! I like easy.”
TF: “But coal makes lots of bad things, too. Things that civilized people don’t like. Things like poverty and death.”
JM: “West Virginia has lots of poor people.” (Joey shakes his head sadly.)
TF: “Yes, it does, Joey.”
JM: “All those poor people should go out and get a job.”
TF: “Like in a coal mine?”
JM: “Yeah, good idea!”
TF: “Remember that picture, though?”
JM: “Oh, yeah, I forgot. Not many jobs.”
TF: “Right. Good memory, Joey! Here’s two more pictures.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE POVERTY and CLICK HERE TO SEE ECONOMY
JM: “Gosh, that doesn’t look so good.”
TF: “No, it doesn’t. But that’s not all.”
JM: “There’s more?”
TF: “Yes. The coal power from West Virginia is sent to other places over high voltage power lines. These lines take people’s land against their wishes, and force them to live near Electronic Magnetic Fields or EMFs. Exposure to EMFs can cause diseases like childhood leukemia.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE POWER LINE DESTRUCTION
(Joey is getting all squinty eyed and panicky again.)
TM: “Oh, sorry Joey. Ch – ild – hood loo – kee – me – ah.”
JM: “Ohhhhhhhhhh.”
TM: “Most important of all, coal kills people. Lots of them. Pollution from burning coal kills over 20,000 Americans every year. And the poverty and environmental pollution caused by coal mining kills over 10,000 more. Take a look at this picture of death rates:”
CLICK HERE TO SEE DEATH FROM COAL
TM: “…Joey? … Joey?”
(But Joey has wandered off now, carrying a 2 liter bottle of Coke and a plate of pepperoni rolls to watch the Friends of Coal Bowl on tee-vee.)
